[Tavern-Talk] HEART TALK: William Donkin's Diaries, 21

[Tavern-Talk]

HEART TALK - Donkin's Diaries: Twenty-first Installment

Jaipur (Rajputana)
31/12/40 

So here we all are in Jaipur - a wonderful Rajput city.

Baba and the ladies arrived here on the 26th, coming straight from 
Calicut here, not staying in Muttra as previously arranged: they had 
an easy and good journey. 

Nilu and I, myself driving, came in the bus with all excess baggage 
from Calicut to Jaipur, about 1800 miles in all.

We came in 3 days to Nasik, and then more slowly on. 100 miles from 
Indore both back wheels on one side came off on the road, and the bus 
fell onto its brake down on that side; luckily got wheels on O.K. 
again, and no serious damage done. We went slowly on to Indore, there 
getting the extra nuts, and bending the brake drum straight again.

The bus gave some trouble at Agra - but anyhow we reached here 2 days 
before Baba ordered, so Baba was pleased.

Baba very jaunty and humorous here, teasing us all in good natured way. 
Baba likes the day cold - it is cold nights and mornings - he is 
really in fine spirits here and we thoroughly enjoy his company. 
Kotwal and Gustadji arrived here last night from Meherabad. 

I have to-day received papers calling me up, and Baba says I am to go 
this time; so at last this calling up business has borne fruit; Baba 
seems pleased about it.

So for me a new phase will shortly be beginning - where it will lead I 
suppose only Baba knows.

Baba puts his cold hands on our warm stomachs in the cold mornings - 
makes us pull our shirts up to do it - it's like an electric shock, 
and he teases Chanji good-naturedly too - to the amusement of us all.

Jan 9th 1941

Baba the other day had a real good laugh because when Eruch was looking 
round Jaipur for Masts he was put on to one man who was obviously a 
beggar and who on close questioning admitted that he did so and so for 
people, and very daring confession to make to a stranger: Baba laughed 
so much at the man admitting his way of getting a living that he said 
the fellow would be blessed as a result. We all laughed a lot too.

One mast brought in the other day, a good one Baba said, has the 
reputation of throwing stones at people when in a bad temper; he had 
once killed a man in this way - much to the man's benefit, Baba said.

Thus we took it in turns the night he was here to watch an hour each - 
he was quite quiet though, only bowing and making queer movements at 
times.

The people in the town, who believe in masts, and worship them, thought 
we were going to kill this man, and the rumour is also in the town 
that the English are doing so badly in the war, that they are 
capturing these masts and taking them to Europe to help England win by 
their spiritual aid!

Baba has just returned from Jodhpur where he went with Gustadji and 
Eruch and fed 3 very good masts that Pendu discovered there the other 
day. 

One who Baba says has practically no body consciousness at all, and who 
covers his face with his hands when anyone goes near - Baba went to 
him 7 times with food and made Eruch and Gustadji take darshan the 
first and last times.

Another Mast was an old lady, whom Baba went to 3 times, feeding her, 
and Gustadji and Eruch were told to take her darshan, at every visit. 
Of course all this feeding is always done by Baba behind closed doors, 
so that no-one sees it.

This morning Baba said that he intended to contact 70% of all the masts 
in India before he speaks - he has already contacted 65%, and the 
remainder he will contact in the next few months.

13/1/41

2 days ago Baba gave me a draft dictation of his to Mani of the 7 
realities of Baba's religion. He told me for one hour to forget 
myself, Nilu and and Chanji, and put the 7 realities into good 
English.

This I did to the best of my ability, and now a new propaganda push has 
been ordered by Baba and these 7 points are to be distributed all over 
India, about a million copies, in all languages.

Norina may go to U.S.A. in June to carry on propaganda there, before 
Baba goes to the West.

All this is obviously a good time-pass for the Mandali during February 
and March, and may serve Baba's purpose in other ways too I suppose.

Baba yesterday teased us all a good deal over another bungalow which we 
might have moved to - he told me he was annoyed with my attitude 
because I told him I didn't like it when he asked me my opinion. Nilu 
also got it in the neck, and Vishnu joined in the fight. However the 
owner of the bungalow was unwilling to let it, so we can't go there. I 
felt it would have been quite impractical anyhow. 

A curious tale from Gustadji of early days with Baba in Poona.

Baba ordered Gustadji to sit in same room to him for several hours, 
while he (Baba) explained spiritual matters to Gustadji. Gustadji 
ordered not to leave room at all, even for emptying bladder. At last 
after 4 hours Gustadji's bladder was so painful that he took an 
opportunity to slip out onto the street to make urine.

Just as he stooped in a corner to start relieving himself, he looks 
round and sees Babajan running towards him, here in Poona City 4 miles 
from her place and a real old lady too. She grasps Gustadji by the arm 
and says 'Come on fellow, with me.' She looks pleased and Gustadji 
calls a tonga to go with her back to her place in Sacha Pir St in 
Poona Cantonment.

Just as they were getting near Babajan's tree along comes Khak Sahib on 
a bike, panting like hell, and pulls Gustadji out of the tonga on to 
the road.

Khak Sahib then told Gustadji that Baba had ordered him to go as fast 
as his bike would carry him to Babajan's tree, and if Gustadji had 
reached there with Babajan, then Gustadji's connection with Baba was 
severed: so Khak only got there just in time, as they had but 50 yards 
or so further to go: another minute and all would be too late. It is 
still a mystery how Babajan got to Poona City to get Gustadji, a place 
she never went to usually. Since then Gustadji says he is always 
careful about Baba's orders.

24/1/41 

Baba left for Kathiawar the other day, mast hunting with Gustadji and 
Kotwal, and returns on 25th. The other day he said that all Avatars 
are rascals, including himself!

 I am writing this in Hyderabad Deccan, where I have just had an 
interview with the military, who are calling me up: it looks as if I 
might go to the Near East: so we shall see.

Chanji the other day gave me the Gujarati arti of Baba's. It has a lot 
of Persian words in it, but anglicized is as follows

1. Bujave nar jehelatni-e
Ker kudratne farmaa tu
Che lagi ash bhakto ne
Ke bakshe nure-ima tu

2. Aya murshid Meher Baba
Charanpar tujna dhariye sar 
Khudana zat-thi vakef
Thai betho Meherba tu

3. Tu chhe malik hakiqatno
Tu ashek bhi ne aref bhi
Tu chhe dariya-e-wahedat
Marefatno hoi tufan tu

4. Hamo rahrav ne ay salek
Bakh-sh-jednyan izadnu
Ke tu parmatma dnyani
Chhe ne muktyar-e-irfan tu

5. Khudana premno pyalo
Pilavi mast hamne kar
Chhe tuj per jan sadke
Saqiya api-de payaman tu

6. Hamari nav bhar dariye
Tarave to hame tariye
Hamara nakhuda ay Meher Baba
Chheo nigheban tu.

There are these 6 verses in all. Flat lines over vowels (note - not 
included in this typescript) make long syllables: dot over i makes it 
nasal.

Translation roughly as follows:-

1. Command thou the Creator to extinguish the fire of ignorance, 
For thy devotees deserve that thou bestow on them the light of 
knowledge. 

2. O Meher Baba, our spiritual guide, we lay our heads at thy lotus 
feet, because thy gracious divine Self hath fully discovered the 
nature of God.

3. Thou art one with God,
Thou art the Lover and the Beloved,
Thou art the Ocean of Oneness
Thou art the fullness of knowledge.

4. Bestow upon us, pilgrims of the Path,
Salik (God conscious Guru), the knowledge of God.
Because thou art the all-knowing Paramatma
And hast authority to impart thy knowledge to others.

5. Give us to drink from the cup of the Divine God,
That with it we become intoxicated.
Once we drink of the Divine cup
we shall dedicate our lives to thee.

6. Our ship of ignorance is in mid-ocean
and kept afloat only at thy will,
But thou, O Meher Baba, the captain 
Of the ship, art our protector.

I think Baba wrote this Arti in 1929, remodelling it from an earlier 
one, both words in Gujarati, and the tune, were dictated by Baba. It 
sounds very nice when sung by a group of people.

===================================

Jai Beloved Baba!
Archives Team
Avatar Meher Baba P.P.C. Trust

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Heart Talk, Diary Part 241, 10 April 2008
Copyright 2008 Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Charitable Trust